The Great Escape
by stubadingdong
Summary: Another movie, another night...


TITLE: The Great Escape  
  
AUTHORS: stub&Joe  
  
DATE: 1-28-03  
  
RATING: PG  
  
SUMMARY: More Movie Night!  
  
DISCLAIMER: Trip and Polly are owned by Paramount. The movie is owned by Warner Bros/Castle Rock Entertainment/Stephen King/Not Us.  
  
  
  
The lights came up and Trip was nearly bursting. "You liked this one, didn't you?" Trip asked excitedly. "I know you did."  
  
T'Pol raised an eyebrow at him. "What makes you think that?"  
  
A huge grin spread across the chief engineer's face. "I can see the glint in your eye."  
  
"Nonsense," she replied and stood up. Trip followed suit. "Although it was better than last week's choice."   
  
"You're gonna knock An American Werewolf in London again? That's a great movie!"   
  
"If you say so," T'Pol replied.  
  
"You're sayin' that you didn't like this one either?" Trip was incredulous.   
  
"I did not say that." T'Pol started walking towards the door.   
  
"C'mon, T'Pol. You might be able to fool everyone else on board, but not me."  
  
"I'm not trying to cast illusion on anyone, Commander."  
  
"Just admit it then," he replied, following her out into the corridor. "You think Andy was justified in escapin'. He used his brain. He was smart. He had patience." Trip saved the best for last. "Like a Vulcan."  
  
As they approached the lift, T'Pol stopped suddenly, causing Trip to nearly walk into her. "Vulcans would not sentence an innocent man to life in prison."  
  
"That's irrelevant." Trip stepped aside to let a crewman pass.  
  
"Vulcans would not allow their penal system to be corrupt."  
  
"Again, irrelevant. Andy used his knowledge and expertise to use the system to his advantage. Very cunning, don'tcha think?"  
  
T'Pol was quiet. Trip leaned against the bulkhead, arms crossed over his chest. He waited patiently for her to think things through.  
  
After a few moments, T'Pol looked at him and said, "He was very intelligent."  
  
Trip chuckled. He leaned in closer and said lowly, "You just can't admit that the Human spirit is something to be reckoned with, can you?"  
  
"On the contrary, Commander," replied T'Pol, her tone matching his. "I know all too well." Her eyes raked up his body.  
  
"I'll take that as a compliment," Trip said, his gaze locking onto hers.  
  
The lift doors opened and both officers turned to face them at the same time. Several crewmen exited, casting curious looks at their superior officers. Trip and T'Pol stepped into the lift.  
  
As the doors slid closed, T'Pol asked, "The character Red seemed to like Andy very much."  
  
Trip looked at her and said, "Yeah...they were friends."  
  
"He was much older than Andy. Did that not strike you as odd?"  
  
He considered that. "No, not at all. Sometimes age doesn't matter. They got to know each other an' subsequently liked each other for a buncha reasons. I guess you could say it was a mutual attraction."  
  
"Mutual attraction?"  
  
"Well, yeah," Trip sighed. "I mean, here's how I see it: Red and Andy had nothin' in common other than they were in prison together, right? Red was an older man, uneducated, already in there for twenty years and is one of the top dogs. Then along comes this new guy, Andy. He's smart, he's confident, an' he's quiet. Two people who, under different circumstances, might not have a thing to do with one another come together to be friends. And all it took was an unlikely request for a rock hammer to start a long- lasting bond between them."  
  
The lift stopped and they exited quietly. T'Pol still said nothing so Trip prompted her.  
  
"What're you thinkin' about?" he asked softly.  
  
She looked up at him. "Considering your explanation, I was reminded in many ways of our own...friendship."  
  
Trip thought about that and smiled. "Yeah. Take some of Andy an' some of Red, add a starship and we have a relationship that resembles ours, huh?"  
  
"Something like that," she nodded.  
  
"I like the way you think." Trip turned to leave and stopped. "T'Pol?"   
  
T'Pol keyed her door as she turned towards him. "Yes, Commander?"   
  
"Have I mentioned that I'm really happy you decided to join me every week for movie night?"   
  
"No, you did not." T'Pol replied. "But I already knew that."   
  
Trip looked at her. "Yeah? How'd you know?"   
  
"I could see the glint in your eye." She paused for effect. "Good night, Commander."   
  
Trip's mouth suddenly went dry and he looked away, embarrassed. "Uh," he coughed. "G'night."  
  
~FIN~  
  
AN - The movie is "The Shawshank Redemption", for those not familiar. 


End file.
